So a couple of weeks ago I wrote about this girl from my school, Maryam, 2 years younger than me. I would like to share another incident from that time. During my 9th grade (or 9th standard as we call it) I was selected to be in a play for the school’s annual day celebrations. The play was called Dearly Departed about a grandfather whose two granddaughters think he has passed away (he is in reality only just in a deep sleep) and they and their husbands start fighting over his belongings and property. There is also a small girl in the character list, daughter of of the granddaughters.

So I was to play the role of the grandfather and hence for most of the play I was in the sidelines, which suited me fine. I am only in for the last 1/3rd of the play when I finally wake up from my sleep and the little girl sees this and goes to tell her mother, father, aunt and uncle but they don’t pay attention to her or see him until he comes down the stairs. I see the family fighting over my stuff and blast them for it. I then go on to announce that I have met an elderly widow who I have fallen in love with and I am getting married to her and my estate will be going to her in case I die first.

The play is mostly funny but there is a scene in which one of the grandaughters, played by Maryam is supposed to check on me while I speak and hold my wrist, to check my pulse. During rehearsals it was supposed to be just a metaphoric holding of my wrist but she came and actually held my hand and I yelled out in jest “Let go of my hand woman!” to which everyone else in the play including the teachers started laughing but Maryam was embarrassed and ran away crying. My teachers admonished me (though not sternly as they were still laughing) and made me go and apologize and bring her back.